The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department admitted Thursday to fatally shooting an innocent victim of a knife attack whom they mistook for a suspect.

Christopher Roupe, 17, of Euharlee was felled by a single police bullet when an unidentified officer arrived at the family mobile home to execute a probation violation warrant against his father, authorities said.

The evolving narrative... First the police claimed the victim "lunged at offficers". They that changed to he "aggressed" the officers. Then when it turned out they shot the wrong guy, they sais the while he was escaping the hostage situation he "lunged at" the other victim.

Sounds like this guy didn't stand a chance.

Anyway, the cops shot 2 of the hostages, including killing one, and a thrd hostage was stabbed by the perp. The only guy that emerged apparently unscathed was the hostage-taker.

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Elsewhere:

“It just doesn't add up,” family attorney Cole Law told WSBTV. “He heard a knock at the door. He asked who it was, there was no response so he opened the door and upon opening the door he was immediately shot in the chest.”

I don't claim to have any particular knowledge about the facts here. All I know is that some Wii controllers look like guns. I thought that might be the case from the way the hand was holding the controller in the article.

Tom, the "bottom line" is that you have less idea what went on in these cases than in the Popkowski case. Me too. The difference is that I admit it. I'd need more information than the current media offers to pass judgment. You only need to know that a cop is involved and that someone other than you blames him.

We are getting information that he is a pizza deliveryman, so it is a possibility he may have thought he was being robbed. We do know the police officers announced themselves as police officers, he may not have heard that

Boston – National Guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned assault weapons were ambushed on April 19 by elements of a para-military extremist faction. Military and law enforcement sources estimate that 72 were killed and more than 200 injured before government forces were compelled to withdraw.

Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the radical right-wing tax protest movement.

Gage blamed the extremists for recent incidents of vandalism directed against internal revenue offices. The governor, who described the group's organizers as "criminals," issued an executive order authorizing the summary arrest of any individual who has interfered with the government's efforts to secure law and order.

The military raid on the extremist arsenal followed wide-spread refusal by the local citizenry to turn over recently outlawed assault weapons. Gage issued a ban on military-style assault weapons and ammunition earlier in the week. This decision followed a meeting in early this month between government and military leaders at which the governor authorized the forcible confiscation of illegal arms.

One government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed out that "none of these people would have been killed had the extremists obeyed the law and turned over their weapons voluntarily."

Government troops initially succeeded in confiscating a large supply of outlawed weapons and ammunition. However, troops attempting to seize arms and ammunition in Lexington met with resistance from heavily-armed extremists who had been tipped off regarding the government's plans.

During a tense standoff in the Lexington town park, National Guard Colonel Francis Smith, commander of the government operation, ordered the armed group to surrender and return to their homes. The impasse was broken by a single shot, which was reportedly fired by one of the right-wing extremists.

Eight civilians were killed in the ensuing exchange.

Ironically, the local citizenry blamed government forces rather than the extremists for the civilian deaths. Before order could be restored, armed citizens from surrounding areas had descended upon the guard units. Colonel Smith, finding his forces over matched by the armed mob, ordered a retreat.

Governor Gage has called upon citizens to support the state/national joint task force in its effort to restore law and order. The governor also demanded the surrender of those responsible for planning and leading the attack against the government troops.

Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, who have been identified as "ringleaders" of the extremist faction, remain at large.

And this, fellow Americans, is how the American Revolution began, in April, 1775.

On July 4th, 1776 these same extremists signed the Declaration of Independence, pledging to each other and their countrymen their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. Many of them lost everything, including their families and their lives over the course of the next few years.

The ordeal lasted for more than an hour. The authorities said they had a report of two people casing cars in the parking lot that would have been Alice, 65, and her 8-year-old grandson Aaron looking at license plates.

Sheriff's Deputy who shot a dog after responding to a burglary call on Friday has been fired.

According to the Rains County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Jerrod Dooley was fired on Thursday. Sheriff David Traylor said that it was for Dooley's safety because of threats. He added that it is the safest move for the department and the deputy.

And the correct response by the sheriff. I am sick and tired of these so called reviews where time drags on and the outcome of the review is always the same. "the officer acted within his training and standard operating procedures".

ANY use of a firearm where the officer cannot easily prove self defense should immediately require the officer to be relieved of his duties and his firearm. The review should be accomplished by a grand jury of people who do not live anywhere near the officer or his workplace and their names should remain concealed from the police. Anyone who sits on a grand jury should not fear retribution to themselves or their families, by the police for any reason.

This was unusual - families of individuals killed by police rallied at the Wisconsin State House to support an independent police oversight bill.

I didn't understand the statement "first in the nation to require an outside investigation", I don't think that statement is correct as it stands, but I wonder if the union-taming sentiment of the present Wisconsin state government permitted the passage of a police-oversight law. Much of the police questionable behavior occurred in Madison, and a review of areas in the country that seem to show police impervious to discipline seem to be in strong union areas.

I also question whther the review should be conducted by a different law enforcement agency - if the problem is policy-related, then one police department is likely to corroborate another agency's policies - when the problem might be the policy itself. For example - if an officer kills an innocent civilian while "following policy", gee, there might be something wrong with the policy.

I don't think the issue is the law, it's the police mentality, and cover-ups that are the problem. Police know which verses to recite to protect themselves from prosecution, and provocative buzzwords: "reached for the gun", "lunged at the officer", "attempted to drive over the officer", (which, first of all, are by their nature, actually SUBjective observations,) sound convincing, and they create an emotional reaction in the listener which ends debate on the facts of the issue.

However, often we see that when video of one of these incidents emerges, it becomes hard to reconcile the officer's statements to the video of the event.

The corrosive mentality is a bigger problem:

This is a quote from David Cooper, who was the Chief of the Madison Police Department in the 1970s:

In my new book, I noted that restricting the use of deadly force by my officers created conflict within the department. But, at the same time, gathered respect for police in the community. It was a matter of short-term versus long-term thinking:

“One morning in the mid-1970s, I remember attending a briefing of senior day-shift officers, most all of whom were males older than I was. A number of them soon began complaining about the changes going on within the department—hiring women, new policies that restricted the use of deadly force and the requirement that a supervisor call off high-speed chases if they became too dangerous to the community.

“I listened as the grousing continued. Then I asked them, ‘When I came to the department, many of your wives told me they were embarrassed to say their husbands were police officers. They shared with me that those days of riot and turmoil took a toll on them and your children, as well. Now looking back, think — is that the case now? Or are your wives and children proud that you are a Madison police officer?’ It was quiet in the room. I had made a point. These senior officers knew they had gained respect under my leadership. Everyone had benefited from our effort to professionalize—to be a first class police department. They knew they were now viewed as respected professionals in the community”

The report said Dotson ignored 'repeated instructions' to go inside and apparently 'began to physically resist officers' instructions to place his hands behind his back, and at one point grabbed on to an officer's leg.'

According to a press release, the officers open fire after seeing the suspect reach into his waist band. After reviewing cell phone footage, some experts believe that the suspect did not reach into his waist band and that the use of force was unjustified.

The police admit they have an "obstructed view", but then saw the suspect "reach for his waist." Perhaps it's two different viewpoints, and therefore not conflicting, but the blantent "reaching for the waistband" lie seems to be egregious.

As more and more of these incidents emerge, it's hard not to get a picture of an America police force that would lie about a shooting, and therefore who would trust them to be honest about a traffic ticket? I've observed officers engage in casual shading of the truth - adding a few miles an hour ONTO the speed they claim they observed - probably just to make it easier if the ticket is contested.

If they can't be trusted about little things, what citizen is going to want to trust their lives and safety to them?

I think those who complain about an arrogant police force might also look at this long pattern of demonstrated lies, some of which have been pointed out in this thread, and others, and be concerned about a growing corruption of the same police force, and how the self-serving "us vs. them" mentality it is working into the very culture of the profession to the severe determent of the public they purport to serve.

Notice that he drove away AFTER the police started shooting. But who are you going to believe - the offical police report - or your lying eyes?

And what was the police response to him not letting them continue to pump bullets into him?

Ford faces charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest that his family said could put him in prison for 20 years. The investigation into the police officers’ actions is ongoing, but Pittsburgh police have said the officer used force in self-defense.

Hmmm - wrong guy, unarmed, but it was "self-defense". I don't think so. I think it was an incompentant police action, aggrevated by poor choice and a cover-up. No real danger to defend against, other than in the officer's hyped-up, hair-trigger mind.

But that's just my opinion, here. You can have you own opinion.

Of couse, we could wait for the "investigation." I'm sure we can rely on that!

Now - Follow police commands - even if they are shooting you! Do NOT resist!

Hmmmm I wonder will it eventually devolve to a point where the only safe response to a police officer showing up on your property is to immediately throw open the front door and lay face down with your feet pointed towards the door and your hands clasped firmly behind your head until the "peace officer" tells you it okay to move...
Especially if they roll in in one of their newly acquired armored assault vehicles and jump out replete in body armor, dark glasses, their pants tucked into their combat boots.... and a semi automatic assault rifle in hand....... "But officer I only called because my kitten wouldn't come down...."

Who knows how many shootings , assaults , and other crimes are committed in the name of law enforcement. I believe there are some great police officers out there who take their duties seriously, the problem is is when they close ranks to protect the bad ones....I also believe that there's many who are peeled off the Bad Lieutenant template (Gary Oldmam).

Cops have barged into James Jordan Sr.’s family home looking for him more than a dozen times since he died in 2006 — prompting his exasperated relatives to finally post his death certificate on the front door.

It has been eight years since the guy in question died. The house has been raided at least a dozen times...more than once a year. Since these raiding teams of police are usually from the same precinct or group of precincts, it would seem reasonable that at least one of the officers would say, "Hey, I've been here before. That guy is already dead."